Grease gun



E. J. MACEY GREASE GUN Feb. 6, 1934.

Filed Jan. 30,

Patented el). 6, 19,34

uNiTs STATES PATENT oFFicE y GREASE GUN Eugene J. Macey, Rosholt, S. Dak.

Application January 30, 1933. Serial No. 654,345

6 Claims. (C1. 221-47.3)

This invention relates to an improved grease gun and seeks, among other objects, to provide a device of this character wherein a pivoted hand lever will be provided for actuating the grease ejecting plunger employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the plunger will be housed within a barrel and will not reciprocate through the grease Within the grease receptacle of the device.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a device wherein the barrel, plunger and associated parts, will bereadily removable with the cap of the grease receptacle so that said receptacle may be readily filled with grease.

Other and incidental objects of the invention, not specifically mentioned in the foregoing, lwill be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through my improved gun, a discharge hose and lubricator fitting being shown in elevation, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a preferably cylindrical grease receptacle contracted at its lower end portion to provide a reduced terminal 11 on which is formed an inwardly directed annular flange 12 and screwed over the upper end of the receptacle is a removable cap 13.

Extending at its upper end through the cap is an axially disposed barrel 14 upon which is screwed nuts 15 abutting the inner and outer sides of the cap for rigidly connecting the barrel thereto. The barrel is of a diameter to flt snugly within the terminal 11 of the receptacle 10 and is formed at its lower end with a reduced nipple 16 which extends snugly through the flange 12. At the upper end portion of the barrel, the bore 17 thereof is enlarged to provide a chamber 18, while, at therlower end portion of the barrel, the bore thereof is reduced, and formed through the side wall of the barrel, near the lower end thereof, is

' an inlet passage 19 communicating with a grease chamber 20 provided by the reduced lower end portion of the bore of the barrel.

Slidable in the barrel is a plunger 21 having -a reduced lower end portion 22 fitting the reduced lower end portion of the bore 17 of the barrel and formed on the plunger, at its upper end, is a yoke 23 through the sides of which extends a transverse pin 24. Freely accommodated at one end within the chamber 18 of the lattached directly to the terminal 11 of the grease barrel 14 is a spring 25 which surrounds the upper end of the plunger and rests at its opposite end against rthe yoke 23. Thus, as will be seen, this spring will function to retract the plunger and will normally hold the plunger in retracted posi- 60 tion when, as will be observed, the lower end of the plunger will be disposed immediately above the inlet passage 19 of the grease chamber 20. Slidable on the barrel is a grease follower including a sleeve 26 fitting the barrel and mounted on the sleeve is a pair of spaced plates 27 between which is clamped avleather 28, the free margin of which is disposed to coact with the wall of the receptacle 10.

Mounted upon the cap 13 is a handle 29 which extends diametrically of the cap thereabove. At its forward end portion, the handle is inclined forwardly and downwardly to meet the cap to which the forward extremity of the handle is suitably fixed at one side of the cap, and integral with the sides of the handle are spaced posts 30 suitably secured to the cap at its opposite side. The handle is thus rigidly xed to the cap and formed in the handle, as particularly seen in Fig. 2, is an elongated opening 31 freely accommodating the upper end of the plunger 21 therethrough. Pivoted between the posts 30 is a lever 32 which extends beneath the handle 29 and is provided at its forward end with an arcuate terminal 33 extending freely between the sides of the yoke 23 at the upper end of the plunger, the concave face of said terminal being presented downwardly to coact with the yoke and the convex face of the terminal being presented upwardly to the pin 24. Thus, when the lever 32 is rocked towards the handle 29, the plunger will be depressed while, when the lever is released, the plunger will be retracted by the spring 25.

Screwed over the terminal 11 of the grease receptacle 10 is a removable coupling 34 stepped to t the nipple 16 of the barrel 14, and disposed within said coupling to coact with the mouth of the nipple is a check valve 35 normally held closed by a spring 36. In the present instance, I have shown the coupling 34 as attached to a exible discharge hose 37 which is equipped at its free end with a lubricator fitting, indicated as a whole at 39, this fitting being the subject of my co-pending application filed November 21, 1932, Serial Number 643,753. If preferred, however, the tting 39 or other appropriate fitting adapted for detachable connection to a companion fitting upon a part to be lubricated may be receptacle, in which event, suitable provision Will be made for the check valve 35 and spring 36.

In use, the cap 13 is disconnected from the receptacle 10 when, by lifting on the cap, the barrel 14 is withdrawn from the receptacle. The receptacle may then be easily filled with grease, when the cap is replaced, care being taken to properly position the grease follower within the upper end of the receptacle. Having connected the fitting 39 with the part to be lubricated, the handle 29 is then grasped when,` with the ngers, the lever 32 is swung upwardly for depressing the plunger 21. Downward movement of the plunger will, of course, serve to expel the contents of the chamber 20 past the check valve 35 and through the hose 37 and tting 39 to the part to be lubricated. Upon release of the lever 32, the spring 25 will, as previously explained, immediately retract the plunger and as the plunger starts its upward movement the check valve 35 will close so that continued upward movement of the plunger will create, in the chamber 20, a partial vacuum which, when the plunger clears the passage 19 will be communicated to the grease receptacle. Accordingly, air pressure above the grease follower will act to force the follower downwardly and feed the grease through the passage 19 into the grease chamber 20 so that when the lever 32 is next swung upwardly, a fresh charge of grease will be expelled through the hose. Should the plunger stick, the lever 32 may be manually rocked when the convex face of the terminal 33 of the lever will coact with the pin 24 for positively retracting the plunger. I accordingly provide a device which will function eiciently until substantially all of thev grease in the grease receptacle has been discharged therefrom. v

Having thus described the invention, I claim: l. A grease gun including a grease receptacle, a cap closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end with a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with the grease receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, a plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber, and a lever carried by the cap and pivoted at a point between its ends to coact at one end with the plunger whereby the lever may be rocked for actuating the plunger. 2. A grease gun including a grease receptacle,

a cap closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end with a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with the grease receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, a plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber, a handle xed to the cap, and a lever pivoted at a point between its ends upon the handle to coact at one end with the plunger whereby the lever may be rocked for actuating the plunger.

3. A grease gun including a grease receptacle,

a cap closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end With a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with the grease receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, a plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber, a handle extending over the cap and fixed at one end thereto at one side of the cap, posts fixed to the cap at its opposite side and supporting the handle, said handle being provided with an opening freely accommodating the plunger, and a lever pivoted between said posts to coact with the plunger and operable for actuating the plunger.

4. A grease gun including a grease receptacle, a cap closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end with a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with the receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, the opposite end of said barrel being formed with a recess, a plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber and provided at its outer end with a yoke, a spring disposed in the recess of the barrel and coacting with said yoke for retracting the plunger, a handle carried by the cap, and a lever pivoted upon the handle to coact with said yoke and operable for actuating the plunger.

5. A grease gun including a grease receptacle, a cap closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end with a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with the receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, the opposite end of said barrel being formed with a recess, a plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber and provided at its outer end with a yoke, a spring disposed in the recess of the barrel and coacting With said yoke for retracting the plunger, a pin carried by the yoke, a handle carried by the cap, and a lever pivoted upon the handle and provided with an arcuate terminal having its concave face disposed to coact with the yoke for actuating the plunger when the lever is rocked and its convex face disposed to coact with said pin whereby the lever may be swung for manually retracting the plunger.

6. A grease gun including a grease receptacle, a cap normally closing the receptacle, a barrel carried by the cap and provided at one end with a grease chamber and with an inlet passage connecting said chamber with said receptacle, a check valve coacting with the mouth of said chamber, a grease follower slidable upon the barrel to coact with the receptacle, a handle carried by the cap, a spring-retracted plunger slidable in the barrel for expelling the contents of said chamber, and a lever pivoted upon the handle to coact with the plunger for actuating said plunger.

EUGENE J. MACEY. 

